Contents

Summary

From DC Comics: "When Lois Lane accepts an assignment outside of Metropolis, she gets more than she bargained for. Follow the Daily Planet’s star reporter to the Congo as she investigates the Angel of the Plateau! “Valkyrie” reintroduces Lana Lang to the series!"

Recap

Chapter Forty-One

A fangirl asked Lois about Superman's character.

A few weeks after the events of Haunted, Lois accepts an assignment to Africa to investigate mysterious reports surrounding a vigilante, known as Angel of the Plateau. During her flight route to Africa, Lois is questioned by both a passenger and flight attendance regarding her opinion of Superman. At first, Lois is delighted to answer the questions of a little girl who poses questions about Superman's moral character if it's generally honest and pure as he portrays it. Lois confirms that it's genuine.

Lois talks to Perry White to bail her out of trouble.

Lois is then asked more personal questions about Superman by two flight attendances, to which Lois response that although she admires him she's engaged, as she shows them her ring on her finger. Unfortunately one of the attendants asked an offensive question to Lois who responded by attacking the attendant and an air marshal. She is then detained at a United Nations consulate building in Tinasha, Africa. Lois is then released with the charges dropped against thanks to the efforts of Perry White.

Lois gets a ride with a UN caravan vehicle transportation escort through Tinasha, where she gets to ask questions of the soldiers about the vigilante "Angel of the Plateau" who they see to think this vigilante is doing more harm than good for the local tribes and children.

Lois is saved by Lana.

The caravan is suddenly caught under fire by the local terrorist cell loyal to the warlord of the regime who fires RPG weaponry at the UN transport. Lois is caught in the crossfire but manages to find protection under one of the turned over vehicles, unfortunately, her wrist is caught and the signal watch she was wearing got damaged as a soldier pulled her out to safety as an incoming missile hit the same vehicle. Just as the truck flew above her head and was about to crash upon her, Lois is saved by a "Red-Blue Blur", Lois assumes it's Clark and proceeds to thank him until she makes a shocking discovery that her rescuer is Lana Lang.

Chapter Forty-Five

Lois follows Lana and the children into the forest.

Lois witness firsthand Lana being targeted by guns used by children, however her power of invulnerability cause the bullets to bounce off her body. She then convinces the children she's not their enemy. Lois grabs a snapshot of Lana leading the children away, with a camera phone belonging to a UN soldier, for her front page and decides to follow them into the forest.

Lana explains the reasons for her doings.

Together they arrive at a sanctuary Lana has built for the kids, where she begins to regale Lois with her story in using her abilities to make a difference for the children, that she gets information from her ally in the city who has connections to the warlords' operations and that she frees the children and takes them with her so their families won't be in danger. Lois then asks Lana if she had experienced any side-effects to the kryptonite absorption. Lana's response is that she had only one, meaning herself being away from Clark.

The warlords hire a "consultant" to deal with their problem.

Somewhere else, the warlords have gathered together to discuss the loss of their soldiers from the Angel of Plateau. They decide to band all together in order to defeat her. One of them says that even all together they cannot harm her because she is very powerful, but another states that he has found a solution for their problem. He has hired a "consultant" from the East, where the Angel is also from, to deal with her. One of the warlords asks what the "consultant" wants in return. The man, who is holding Kryptonite and is revealed to be John Corben, replies besides money, "the heart wants what the heart wants".

Chapter Forty-Six

Lana explains to Lois that she is starting to find herself again.

Inside Lana's self-made sanctuary, Lois finds Lana's scrapbook, in which she is collecting articles about Superman. Lana reveals to her that the last time she left Smallville, she left her whole life behind, including Clark. She then asks her how he is doing in which Lois responds that Clark is just good, she also tells her about their relationship but avoids to tell her about their upcoming wedding, hiding her engagement ring. Then Lana reveals to Lois that helping those children feels like she finding herself again. Suddenly they hear a very loud sound and Lana believes that someone has infiltrated into her camp and so she instantly speeds outside telling Lois to try to follow her and protect as many children as she can.

Lana fights Corben.

Outside John, Corben appears causing havoc making Lana and Lois enter the destruction and try to stop it. As Lana is fighting John, he and Lois explain his backstory and why he went to become a hired gun after his last meeting with her. As Corben was explaining how his new heart works, it is constructed by Toyman and now can absorb kryptonite, Lois realizes what this means for Lana and tries to stop her from attacking him, but she fails. An enraged Lana proceeds to rush John and hit him with a flying kick, he grabs her leg and puts her in a chokehold.

Corben absorbs Lana's kryptonite nanites.

In the choke hold, John's heart inadvertently absorbs the Kryptonite fueled nanites stored underneath Lana's skin which fused with John Corben and weapons close to him allowing John to control them.

Chapter Fifty

US Air Force patrol finds Metallo attacking Lois and Lana.

A military aircraft, which is full of soldiers, flies above Lana's sanctuary. The soldiers communicate with their boss, General Sam Lane, informing him that they found his daughter, Lois. Watching the rampage down in the sanctuary, they say to the General they will have to call him later.

Corben attaches a piece of the helicopter to his body forming weaponry.

Meanwhile, Lana and Lois are hiding from John Corben behind a car. Lois says to Lana that Clark gave her a watch that could be used as an alarm for him if she would ever be in danger but she realizes that she lost it apparently. When Lois sees the military helicopters she realizes that they are her father's men but she is worried because as she says the only thing Corben needs is more metal and especially helicopters blades to use against them. John magnetizes the helicopter's blades, making the helicopter fall from the sky.

Away from the scene, two of the children that Lana protects are worried about their Angel. One of them says it would be more helpful to find some weapons and help Lana, but the other disagrees with that saying that they promised her they would not use weapons again. The child also says they should not lose their hope because Lana is strong.

Lois and Lana flee from the metallic clutches of Metallo.

Corben throws the helicopter blade against the two women but Lois manages to push Lana so nobody gets hurt. As Lana and Lois try to escape from Corben he tells them that after he kills both of them he will go after Superman. The two women respond they will not let that happen. Lana says they must find a way to defeat him and Lois suggests that the source of his power is his heart. Suddenly some soldiers appear aiming with their guns at John. He then takes their guns using them to fire against Lana but thanks to Lois, who uses her vest and takes the shots, Lana does not get hurt.

Lois and Lana work together to deactivate Corben's heart.

After that Lana drives a truck and hits John with it while Lois uses a weapon to shoot him. John is able to take that weapon but Lois takes another gun and shoots at the weapon John is holding making it explode. Then Lana and Lois find their chance and reap John's kryptonite heart off his chest leaving him in an off mode.

Lois concludes her interview with Lana.

Later Lana asks Lois what will happen to Corben and Lois says that a Departement called D.E.O. communicated with her father and took John. Lois also reveals that she will not write about Lana's secret in her article. Lana seems grateful and says to Lois she will not return but stay in Africa because even without her powers, this place still needs her. She also reveals that she knows about the wedding and she is happy for both Lois and Clark. She also says that right now even without her powers she feels stronger than ever.

Title

Notes

While General Sam Lane does not appear in this story arc, his presence is noticeable because he is mentioned sometimes by Lois and he commands his soldiers via a radio frequency to travel to Africa and rescue his daughter.

The organization D.E.O. that is well known from the DC comics makes its first appearance at the end of this story arc. It is confirmed that D.E.O. will play a major role in the next storyline called Olympus, featuring Wonder Woman.

Continuity

Though she made a cameo in Haunted, this is Lana Lang's first full appearance since her final departure in the Season Eight episode, Requiem.

Lois and Perry last worked together in Season Nine episode Hostage. Perry offered a job to Lois to work in Africa in Salvation which she ultimately turned down, but took up for a bit in Season Ten episodes Lazarus and Shield before returning to Metropolis permanently. Lois, however, maintained a strong working partnership with Perry as they'd have conference calls mentioned by her in Collateral.

Lois is seen wearing a Superman signal watch, last seen and used by Emil in Guardian.

Discontinuity

Locations

Quotes

Coming Soon

Trivia

Though the first chapter of Valkyrie is released prior to the start of the fifth main story arc, as an interlude story it is considered the sixth arc of the comic series.

Lana Lang is shown as the costumed superheroine, Angel of the Plateau who fights against African warlords. She does this using her superpower she received from Project Prometheus. She is also stripped of her powers by John Corben.

Writer Bryan Q. Miller stated previous to the episode's release that Valkyrie will see the return of a past Smallville villain, It is revealed to be Metallo.